


Worlds of Pain

by frostedshadow



Series: Brothers [4]
Category: James Bond (Movies), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Sherlock (TV), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Barton Boys, M/M, Multi, Twins, lots of brothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 02:09:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/616908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostedshadow/pseuds/frostedshadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint is floating through grief, and only one person has a chance to save him. It's a twin thing. After all, in a world of hurt, brothers are the only safe place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's a Twin Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This is set right after The Avengers, and almost a year after MI4. Skyfall hasn't happened yet.  
> Also, the italics is the other end of the phone call, and only William can hear it.

Chapter 1 

William Brandt was a very content, happy man. While it was true that he did not get to see his brothers nearly as often as he liked, he was very happy in this moment. It had taken a considerable amount of time, almost a year, and for Benji to threaten William before he had approached Ethan about something more. Now, said man had an arm draped across his lap, with his head on William’s stomach. William wasn’t entirely sure, but it appeared that Ethan was enjoying the fact that they were not working, by using William as a pillow. Not that William minded. Benji was across the room from the couple’s couch, working on some code to make cracking security systems easier. Jane was in the kitchen of the penthouse, cooking the group a meal. Currently, he was sifting through files on his tablet, working on gathering intel for a mission Ethan was interested in. 

A mobile rang out, a sound foreign to almost everyone in the penthouse. William was motionless for a moment, before he jerked forward, displacing Ethan, and snatched his third cell phone from where it was strapped to his leg. 

“You have reached Wonder boy. To learn of Wonder boy's latest death defying stunt, press one.” He chirped into the phone, without even looking at the caller ID. Benji motioned for Jane to join them in the room, and Ethan gave him a strange look. 

_“William, quit messing around. You need to go to New York.”_ Dr. John Watson’s voice floated over the phone. William instantly sat up straighter. He covered the receiver, and turned to Benji. 

“We need flights to New York, as quick as possible. Now, please.” William ordered, before he returned to his phone call. 

“Is Clint okay? I saw all that stuff on the news. It figures that he was involved one way or another. That handler of his, Coulson, called, me briefly to say he had been compromised.” William spoke in a rush. He felt his heart beat quicken, and knew he was close to panic. Ethan sat up straight, and moved closer to William, so he could wrap an arm around him. 

_“Define okay. His handler is dead, William. His handler, who is also his boyfriend, is dead. He needs you. I would go, but I can’t leave just yet, and well, James is James.”_ John sighed into the phone. William could feel the concern radiating off of his brother. 

“I will get there as soon as I can. Love you, John. Stay safe. Oh, and say hello to your new boyfriend for me, will you? I am so glad you came back to the dark side. Dating women is so... messy, wouldn’t you say?” Before John could reply, William hung up the phone, and looked expectantly at Benji. 

“Plane leaves in thirty.” Benji informed them. William ignored Ethan’s new, stiff posture, and raced for his bag. Jane, and Benji exchanged glances, then followed their analyst turned agent, and grabbed their own. Ethan only moved from his position when William tossed the man’s bag on him. He pulled Ethan to his feet, laced their hands together, and tugged him through the door. Ethan expelled the worried look from his face, when he saw how upset William was. 

“Not now, Ethan. I will explain everything when we get on the plane.” William briefly pushed his face into Ethan’s neck. He allowed himself to breath in the familiar smell. Then, he placed a soft, quick kiss to his neck, before he pulled away, and led his team out of their house, and to the plane. 

\--- 

“So, I guess I have some explaining to do.” William was slouched in his seat, with Ethan beside him. They were in a small IMF plane, so Benji and Jane were seated across form the couple. Which was fine with them, so long as Ethan and William kept things PG. 

“An explanation would be nice.” Ethan remarked dryly. It was a testament to the amount of stress William was under, that he didn’t comment. 

“I have three brothers, two of which are older. When James, the oldest, was six, our mother committed suicide. John was four, and my twin and I were two. Seven months later, our father left us at an orphanage, and was later killed in a drunk driving incident. By the time any of our family tried to find us, James was ten, and adopted by a British family. John was adopted by another British family. Both Clint, my twin, and I had been in foster care, here in America. I was adopted, but Clint was considered troubled, so he was bounced from family to family. Now, my brother’s long time boyfriend is presumed dead. He needs me, so I need to go to him.” William sighed into his hands. He would not tell his team about how hard a time Clint had had as a child. He would not mention how his twin had been beaten, and left for dead by the circus he had run away with. Ethan did not know any of this, but he wrapped his arm around William reassuringly anyways. 

“So, we are going to see your twin, Clint.” Jane looked mildly amused. “Do you guys always go to each other?” 

“Only when we can. When I thought that, well, Ethan’s wife was dead, James came and took care of me, because Clint was on mission in Budapest. No matter what, we make sure that when something terrible happens, we are there for each other. We have to.” William leaned into Ethan slightly, unconsciously. “You guys need to understand. James’ adopted parents ended up dying. John’s adopted father was an ass who knocked him around. James works for MI6, John was in the army, and both are fiercely loyal. Clint, well, his childhood was rough. None of us Barton boys have ever felt safe, as children. It took John moving in with a high functioning sociopath to find peace. For me, it was this team. And for Clint? His handler at S.H.I.E.L.D. is his everything. That man, Phil, recruited him. Gave Clint a safe place. He didn’t ever ask questions that Clint couldn’t answer. Clint gets nightmares, and normally calls one of us. When he and Phil started dating, he stopped calling, because he had Phil. That’s how we found out about Phil, because we all panicked when we realized he hadn’t phoned anyone in two months. Phil was the first of Clint’s lovers to not make him feel like shit over the amount of scars he has. James, well, the closest thing to peace James has is knowing that we are happy.” 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anymore.” Ethan pressed a kiss to William’s forehead, and pulled him close. While he knew that wasn’t the intention, it warmed him immensely to know that he, Ethan Hunt, was the reason William was at peace. Silence descended upon the plane, and no one spoke until they landed. 

\--- 

William strode into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s New York headquarters, and moved with confidence to the elevator. His team trailed behind him, all trying to mimic his confidence. William pressed the button with the ‘A’ on it, then leaned against the wall while the elevator brought them to the top floor. When it opened, Benji, Jane and Ethan’s jaws dropped. Sprawled around the room were the Avengers, minus Thor. Clint was no where to be seen. 

“Clint? Is that... But you just left..” Steve stared at William, confusion written on his face. William completely ignored the inhabitants to the room, and moved with purpose to the balcony that went off the dinning room. 

“Everyone, that was Clint’s identical twin brother, William. And this, I am assuming, is William’s team.” Natasha spoke before anyone else could move. 

“Please to meet you. I’m Ethan Hunt.” Ethan waved at them, then hurried after William. He slipped the door to the balcony open, and poked his nose out. William had his arms wrapped around Clint, who had been sitting on the ledge. 

“He’s not dead, Will, he can’t be. I didn’t see a body. No body means he’s alive, right?” Clint’s voice broke, and for a moment, Ethan was reminded of a young child. 

“Shh, Clint, it’s going to be okay. I honestly don’t know. But you are going to get through this. I promise. I’m here Clint, you are safe.” William murmured into Clint’s hair, and his hand rubbed slow circles into Clint’s back. Ethan slid the door shut, and joined the others in the main room. 

“Are they okay?” Tony asked. Ethan jerked slightly, then sighed. While he had missed the round of introductions, he still knew who all of these people were. It was just so strange to see them all. 

“I am pretty sure Clint is crying. So it’s probably a good thing that John called William.” Ethan sighed again, and dragged a hand through his hair. 

“Who is this John?” Tony mused. He moved from the living room to the small kitchen, and poured Ethan a drink. Ethan took the glass, and nodded his thanks, before he downed it with one swallow. It was so weird, to see two Williams. 

“Another brother. There are four of them.” Benji supplied helpfully. 

“Yeah, an MI6 double oh agent who is incredibly protective of his baby brothers, and an army doctor who is ridiculously loyal.” Natasha informed them. “Basically the entire Barton family, whether they go by that name or not, could kill any of us, no questions asked. Which reminds me. Ethan, if James comes here, you might want to hide so William has a chance to explain things.” 

“Hold on. How do you know all that? And why would he have to hide?” Bruce raised an eyebrow at Natasha. 

“Past problems. And I met them all a few years ago. Interesting bunch.” Natasha replied cryptically. “If you want to know more, ask one of them. Which might not be smart, all things considered.” Natasha flashed them all a smile, then sauntered from the room. 

“God damn Russian assassins.” Tony grumbled. 

“I heard that Stark!” Natasha called back. Tony got slightly paler, and looked around at his comrades. 

“That doesn’t mean anything, right? She won’t try and murder me in my sleep or anything, will she?” Tony sounded slightly panicked. 

“I don’t know Stark, but I hope JARVIS gets it on tape.” Steve smirked at his friend. 

“JARVIS?” Benji asked. He figured now was as good a time as any to speak with the genius. 

“My AI. He kind of runs my life.” Tony quipped back. Benji’s eyes grew wide with envy. 

“Look, why don’t you go down to the lab, and we adults can sit up here, and talk.” Jane looked pointedly at Tony and Benji. 

“Yes mom.” Tony smiled suggestively at her, then whisked Benji and Bruce off to his lab. 

“Thank god they have finally met. Now we might not have to hear about Tony Stark a hundred times a day.” Ethan slumped onto one of the now vacated couches, and Jane joined him. 

“Please, don’t tell Tony that. He is great and everything, but too many compliments, and I wear we would have to getting building permits for the space his head takes up.” Ethan and Jane’s laughter was cut short at the sound of the sliding door. No one moved, as William lead his twin to Clint’s room. Steve pretended not to notice how red Clint’s eyes were. And they all pretended not to hear the “No body, then he can’t be dead, right?” mutter, that seemed to never stop.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint makes some progress, except he doesn't, and big brother drops in for a surprise visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I should add this in somewhere, I don't own anything...

Chapter 2 

Clint woke up to the steadiness of a heartbeat, strong and sure, under his cheek. For a moment, his treacherous heart told him it was Phil, although his brain told him it was someone else. Because Phil was- _no, must not go there, hurts too much_. Clint snuggled his nose slightly into the chest, and breathed in. Paper, ink, comfort, and a slight whiff of gun, William’s unique scent filled Clint’s nose. Suddenly, he remembered his twin’s surprise arrival. No wonder he felt so relaxed, so comfortable, so rested despite being emotionally drained. Clint turned his head, and stared at his twin. William was sitting somewhat upright, and resting on pillows. His left arm was hooked behind his head, and with his right, William was surfing through his phone. William kept surfing, but raised an eyebrow, his subtle way of letting Clint know that he knew Clint was awake, and that William would not leave the bed until Clint was ready. Clint turned his head back, and snuggled in closer to his brother. Internally, he fought the guilt of not being able to be there for William, when his twin had needed him. 

“Stop thinking. James picked me up, dusted me off, and told me to stop moping. Just be glad it’s me and not him here. However, it was enough like you that I was comforted. Really, for you, if I were unavailable, I guess John would be a good enough substitute for you.” William mused aloud. He hated the fact that Clint felt guilty for something he had no control over. 

“Yes well, from what I hear John is not going to be leaving London for a few years. If we want to see him, I guess we shall have to go and see him ourselves.” Clint sighed. He tried to sound like he usually did, but he knew that William could hear the strain in his voice. It pleased Clint beyond belief, when William didn’t comment. Instead, he lightly patted his brother on the back. Clint leaned into William's hand. Clint suddenly found himself on the floor. Being the wonderful little brother that he was, William was halfway to the bathroom. 

“Hey, I’m just going to shower.” William flashed Clint a grin, then he slipped into the bathroom. Clint huffed out a laugh, then dragged himself off the floor, and onto the bed. He groaned, and buried his face into the pillow William had been using as a backrest. The scent of ink and gun almost masked his scent. Clint rooted his nose slightly, and while he knew it would only hurt him, he tried to find Phil’s scent. William found him exactly eight minutes later. Clint’s shoulders were shaking, and William could just hear his twin’s strangled sobs. William stormed over to the bed, reefed his brother up, and pulled him into a hard hug. Clint was stiff for a moment, then his arms flew around William, and he sobbed into his brother’s neck. When Clint finally calmed down, he realized that his arms were wrapped around naked flesh. 

“Will? Are you wearing anything?” Clint asked softly. He kept his face pressed into Will’s neck, praying that his brother was wearing _something_. 

“Whatever do you mean, Clint?” Will asked cheekily. He knew that Clint needed to be teased at some moments, and coddled at others. It took, well, an expert in Clint-ese to know the right moment. Which meant it was probably a good thing that Will was there, and not James or John. While the older two Barton boys loved the twins, Will and Clint were the only ones who could really help each other in such moments. 

“Oh, relax, Clint. Jeez, I thought you were more laid back then this.” Will softly, verbally poked at his brother. Clint huffed, then finally looked at his brother. William was wearing a pair of jeans, and nothing else. 

“Come on, lets go eat breakfast.” Will pulled his brother up, then grabbed one of Clint’s shirts. 

“What, I don’t get a shower?” Clint grumbled. Will laughed, and pulled his shirt on as the pair left Clint’s room. 

“Nah, you are going to smell no matter what you do, so what’s the point?” Will and Clint entered the kitchen. Jane, Steve, and Ethan were greeted with a pouting Clint, and chuckling Will. 

“Why are you so mean to me?” Clint complained. Steve and Jane would have thought he was acting childish, if not for the glint in Clint’s eyes. Ethan was too focused on his boyfriend; none of the team had ever seen William so relaxed, in jeans, a t-shirt and laughing no less. 

“Thats what happens, when you are the youngest of four boys. You learn how to be a royal pain in the ass.” William grinned at his brother. Then, he turned his back on Clint, and sidled up to Ethan. He wrapped an arm around the older man’s waist, and placed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“Breakfast?” Ethan asked him softly. He knew that, while both men were putting on a brave face, that both were hurting. Clint because of Phil, and Will because Clint was hurting. Ethan knew it wasn’t the right moment to say anything, but he wanted what Clint and Will had, the bond of family. Of knowing that, no matter what, someone else would always be there. Suddenly, to Ethan’s horror, Will was no longer wrapped around him. Instead, Clint had him pinned to the kitchen floor. Jane and Steve had backed up, with matching shocked looks on their faces. William huffed out a laugh, and before Ethan could think to breathe, Clint was pinned to the floor. William held his twin down for three seconds before the pair dissolved into laughter. William knew that his brother wasn’t in the mood to fool around, but it was either jokes or tears. If Will had to admit to anything, he knew that when Clint was hurting this much, and joking, that he was no where near being okay. That, in all honesty, Will should lock them both in a room until Clint was ready to face the world. But, he knew that he couldn’t, because no one would understand that seclusion would actually help Clint. Well, maybe Natasha would get it, but she was truly the exception. 

“Okay, Clint. Food. Please.” William stood, then pulled his brother up. 

“Honestly? And since when do you admit to being the youngest?” Clint grumbled. Perhaps, when it hurt less to think about, well, anything, he would see if JARVIS had that on tape. He knew that John and James would pay to hear William admit that. Plus, they would use it as leverage to end the family arguments. 

“Hmm? I don’t remember saying that.” Will instantly back pedaled. Internally, he prayed htat JARVIS would erase the footage of him admitting that. 

“Please, William, do not try and deny it. We all heard you clear as day.” James Bond leaned against the sliding door, fixing the cuffs of his suit. 

“JAMES!” William and Clint launched themselves forward, over the living room furniture, and at the older man, and slammed into him before he moved. Ethan, Jane and Steve watched the happy reunion, until Ethan remembered something very important. 

“Crap.” He whispered to himself. He slowly tried to slip away from the kitchen. James would have to detach his brothers, and make it across the living room to actually harm him. Right? 

“Hold it.” James had lightly pushed Clint away. William he had shoved behind himself, and had pulled a gun on Ethan. “Don’t move.” 

“Put the gun down, James, please. He isn’t going to hurt us. Please.” William stood, and grabbed James’ shoulder. The older man shrugged him off. 

“No, William. I do not trust him.” James hissed through clenched teeth. The trio in the kitchen stayed still, Ethan barely breathing. Steve’s eyes flicked to the ceiling. 

“Please, James. Things are different now.” William all but begged his older brother. 

“James, listen to William. Maybe he knows what he is talking about.” Clint suggested softly. 

“I’m sure, Clint. Just like you were so sure about Phil.” James hissed. Clint chocked, and bit his lip. 

“What the hell James? You know what’s happening! Jesus, who told you to come.” William snarled at his older brother. Clint sank to the ground, and sobs began to rack body. Tony, Bruce, and Benji poked their noses through the door crack, but none of them said anything. 

“You know how I feel about everything, William.” James snapped. 

“Please tell me this isn’t about Ethan and me.” William hissed a sigh. 

“I do not know, William, what if it is? It’s not as if I picked you up off the floor after he used your team. Yes, William, I knew that Julia was not dead. Jesus, William, when are you going to learn? If you there is no body, then you cannot blindly trust what others tell you.” James admonished. Both Ethan and William stiffened, and Clint keened. 

“I know now, James. Thank you so very much for your help. Now, please stop pointing your gun at my boyfriend so I can deal with Clint!” William was ready to knock James out, but he knew that violence would not soothe things over with James. James sighed, then put his gun away. As soon as it was out of his sight, Will slammed to the ground beside Clint, and pulled his brother tight to himself. James stood there, and stared at his twin baby brothers. His shoulders slumped, and he sighed heavily. Tony, Bruce and Benji disappeared back downstairs, shaken by what they had witnessed. They trio knew that if they intervened now, nothing would be gained. In fact, since the situation was mildly diffused, and there as nothing they could do. 

“No body, then he’s not dead.” Clint whimpered into his twin’s shoulder. James jerked a hand to Ethan, without looking. When Ethan, albeit hesitantly, joined them, James motioned for him to stand behind William. Together, the pair helped the twins stand, and bearing most of their weight, led them back to Clint’s room. Neither man spoke until they were back in the kitchen. Steve and Jane had left the kitchen, so the two men were alone. 

“Look, I understand why you did what you did. I get it. When there is someone you love, who has nothing to do with your work, it’s hard to keep them safe. That does not mean that I forgive you for what it did to William. He was so strong, confident, sure of himself. Of the four of us, he is definitely the smartest. He tries to deny it, says that John is.” James trailed off, and stared out the window. 

“I am sorry, for what I did to Will, for what I put him through. I kick myself all the time for it. Will says he is over it, but I don’t believe it. He says he gets it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I feel like the biggest jerk on the planet. But, and I hope you understand, I need him, James. Will keeps everything sane. He makes me better.” Ethan hated the pain and cliche in his words, but he knew that James needed to hear it. 

“Just, with Clint like this, he can’t handle it if his heart is broken again. I have a mission in Turkey, and I need you to take care of them both while I am gone. John will be no use, he has other things to worry about now. Please, take care of my brothers.” James rested a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, and didn’t remove it until the dark haired man nodded. James did not have to like his brother’s boyfriend, but he knew Ethan Hunt in a way William never would. Mostly because they were, essentially, the same person. 

"Of course.” Ethan didn’t mention James’ mission. He knew that wasn’t the point. James nodded, then entered Clint’s room. Three minutes later, he left the way he came, over the balcony. 

“How did he manage that?” Obviously Steve and Jane had realized that it was safe to come back. 

“Probably through the vents.” Natasha suddenly appeared, and picked up a forgotten pancake. A Barton boy favorite for breakfast. “It’s Barton tradition. To see who can surprise who. Back before William became Chief Analyst, he could get everyone. Even James. Now, well, William is rusty, so James gets everyone. Clint can’t be quiet to save his life, and John doesn’t particularly care for the childish antics.” Natasha droned on, her commentary only broken for bites of pancake. 

“I honestly can’t imagine William sneaking around, scaring his brothers.” Jane raised an eyebrow, and grabbed her own pancakes. 

“It’s pretty entertaining to watch. They get super intense about it.” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “And now that you guys have been dragged into the family, just wait until the next time they get together.” 

“Natasha, stop spreading rumors.” William walked into the room. All eyes avoided the dark stain on his shirt, by his neck. Evidence of Clint’s pain. William raised an eyebrow at Natasha, and pilled pancakes onto two separate plates. They all watched, with equal parts fascination, and horror, as William dressed the pancakes. One plate received blackberry jam, and syrup. On the other, were three pancakes, edges not touching. One was slathered with cream cheese. The next received some humus, and the third was covered with shredded cheese and pineapple. Then William covered the whole thing with syrup. He didn’t comment, he just grabbed some cutlery, and left the kitchen. 

“Does Clint normally eat like that?” Jane whispered softly. 

“No, those pancakes were for William. He has odd tastes, when it comes to what food goes well together.” Ethan replied dryly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, on that odd note, I leave you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint goes for a drive

Chapter 3 

Clint waited until William was asleep. Then, he eased himself off the bed, and away from his twin. True, the encounter with James had shaken him. But this was one instance when he didn’t need his brother. No, he needed someone... someone else. Not more important that his brothers, no someone just as important. Clint scribbled a quick note for Will, shimmied into some clothes, and darted from the room. He used the air ducts to leave the building, and *cough* _borrowed_ one of Tony’s cars. Fifteen minutes later found Clint outside of a beautiful townhouse. Clint typed a quick text message. While he waited, he unlocked the door, and leaned over the seat so he could open it slightly. Two minutes later, a young teenage boy slid into the seat beside him. Neither spoke, until they reached a small park near the boy’s house. 

Clint led the boy over to the bench by the mini lake. Then, he spun on his heel, and embraced the boy. 

“Do you really think he’s gone, Clint?” The boy asked, his voice muffled by Clint’s shoulders. 

“No, I don’t Jordan. I can’t believe it.” Clint whispered into the boy’s hair. He knew that it was bad, saying that to Jordan. But, the boy just looked so much like Phil, that Clint could almost forget that Phil was gone. This wonderful child before him was part of Phil. 

“But, what does that mean?” Jordan nuzzled his face further into Clint’s shoulder. Clint was not his dad, not by a long shot, but Clint was safety. Where his dad was soft edges, and seriousness, Clint was laughter, and roughness. Despite what his mom said about his dad and Phil’s relationship, Jordan was completely comfortable with them. 

“You will have to think of your dad as gone. But, well, I really don’t think he is gone. And, of course, as soon as I know I will tell you.” Clint replied. He released Jordan from the embrace, and led him to the bench. When the pair, Clint kept his arm around Jordan’s shoulders. Part of it, because he knew Jordan needed the contact. And, because Clint could be honest within his own mind, he needed to be close to something that was so _Phil_. 

“Clint? Can I come and live with you guys in the tower? Once its built?” Jordan asked suddenly. Clint jerked slightly, utterly shocked. 

“Really Jordan? You actually want to live with us... with me?” Clint blinked at the young man beside him. To wake up in the morning, with Jordan living in the same house as him, all the time. To be able to take care of Jordan, maybe even teach him to shoot a bow. 

“Of course. If, well, if mom is okay with that. And dad, if he is... really alive. Which means I will probably have to run away.” Jordan joked, his voice watery. 

“No need to run away. I will just kidnap you.” Clint smirked at Jordan, and raised an eyebrow at the young man. Jordan grinned softly, and sniffed. 

“Jordan, it’s okay to cry. You don’t have to hold it all in.” Clint whispered into the young man’s ear. “Being strong does not mean you hide everything away. It means you have the strength to lean on those around you. Just ask my twin.” 

“You have a twin?” Jordan perked up, eyes wide. 

“Identical even. You should have seen the pranks we played on our older brothers.” Clint grinned at him. “Having an identical twin growing up was the best thing ever.” 

“My favorite part, was when dad finally introduced us.” Jordan spoke quietly, his eyes focused on a spot across the pond. 

“Yeah, I’m glad I got to meet you. One of the great parts of being with Phil was meeting you, kid.” Clint ruffled Jordan’s hair, then pulled Jordan into another embrace. The pair sat in silence for thirty minutes, just staring across the pond, before either of them spoke. 

“I should probably get you home soon, so your mom doesn’t have any more reasons to kill me.” Clint sighed softly. He pressed a quick, soft kiss to Jordan’s head. 

“Actually, can I stay with you for a couple of days? Mom is going crazy and I really can’t handle that right now.” Jordan huffed. 

“And do you honestly think that living with the Avengers will be easy?” Clint chuckled. “You are one crazy kid.” 

“I am not a kid, I am sixteen!” Jordan groused back. “Trust me, anything is better than mom right now. Honestly. Plus, I kind of already told her that I was going to stay with you.” 

“Jordan! Jeez, you are almost as bad as your dad.” Clint sighed, and both stiffened at the mention of Phil. Clint could feel the pain radiating from Jordan. “Fine, yeah, you can stay with us. Just, don’t be surprised to see someone who looks just like me hanging around.” 

“Can we have some fun?” Jordan asked suddenly. Clint snorted, and smirked. It amazed him how, even though Jordan wasn’t actually his kid, he still took after Clint. Like, Clint worked through his emotions with pranks. Which, somehow Jordan had picked up on. 

“Trust me, it will turn into a war. William, my twin, is actually pretty good at that kind of thing.” Clint was cut off by the ringing of his third phone. 

“ _You said thirty minutes. It has been more than thirty minutes, Clint. Do I need to tell John to get you a watch for Christmas this year?_ ” William’s voice was dry, and Clint could hear the slight panic in his voice. 

“On my way, don’t worry.” Clint clicked the phone shut, before his brother could answer. He shoved the phone back into it’s secret pocket. “We have been summoned. We should probably head back, before Will uses his sway with the IMF to send out a search party.” 

“The IMF?” Jordan asked, clearly confused. Clint sighed, and stood. He knew that, given the chance Jordan would ask endless questions. 

“In the car.” Clint ordered in reply. He raised an eyebrow at Jordan, and stood at the door until the boy entered his car. Clint smirked, and joined him in the car. 

“IMF stand for Impossible Mission Force.” Clint started, before Jordan could even open his mouth. Clint started up his car, and pulled back onto the road. “Will was a team leader with IMF, then the Head Analysis. Now he is on a team again.” 

“Why did he leave the field?” Jordan asked, instantly curious. 

“Loss of confidence, as is typical of a Barton.” Clint replied dryly. He knew it wasn’t a real answer, but Jordan would understand. He had, after all, been around Clint for several years. It didn’t take a genius to realize that Clint had confidence issues. Smoke and mirrors, was what Clint called it. Act like you have all the confidence in the world, when in reality you are quaking on the inside. 

“Is his last name Barton too then?” Jordan steered the topic away from the IMF. He barely ever heard about Clint’s brothers; he knew it was a sore subject, but Jordan was curious. Misunderstandings over Clint’s brothers had caused his dad heartache before. 

“No, they were all adopted. I am the only survivor.” Clint joked. Jordan huffed a laugh, and shook his head at Clint. “Here, get your stuff.” Clint parked the car beside Jordan’s house. Jordan shot out of the car, and took the stairs two at a time. As soon as he entered the house, shouting could be heard. Three minutes later, Jordan was back with a duffle bag and a back pack. 

“Wow, your mom really sounded impressed with your decision.” Clint remarked dryly. Jordan tossed his bags in the back seat, and shrugged his shoulders. 

“She doesn’t understand why I want to stay with you. She thinks you are crazy. So, how many brothers do you have?” Jordan not so subtly changed the subject. 

“Three. You sure she’s not going to call the cops on me? I don’t want to go to jail for kidnapping.” Clint grumbled. He flicked his signal on, and changed lanes, before he pulled onto the highway. 

“Nah, she knows I am with you, as much as it pains her. So, do these brothers have a name? Besides Will.” Jordan amended quickly, before Clint could give him one of his smart ass replies. 

“James Bond and John Watson. Both older, and living in England.” Clint huffed in annoyance. 

“Why England?” Jordan was, as always, an endless source of question. 

“I don’t pretend to know the mind of anyone, aside from my brothers.” Clint replied smoothly. He exited the highway, and sped along. 

“Do you see them often, do either of them have kids?” Jordan rambled on. Clint sighed softly. 

“We see James when he feels like it. With John, whenever we go over there. And, John has a daughter. Adorable little thing.” Clint felt a slightly squeeze to his heart. John’s daughter was sweet, and a complete surprise to everyone involved, John included. If Clint had been living in England, he would have spoiled the little girl, as he tried with Jordan over the years. Jordan fell into silence, seeming to understand that Clint was no longer in the mood for conversation. 

“Come on, lets go inside before William has a heart attack.” Clint parked the car, and retried Jordan’s bags before the boy was even out of the car. Jordan followed Clint into the S.H.I.E.L.D. building, head down so as to not attract attention. They entered the elevator in silence. When the doors opened again, the pair were met with the antics of Tony Stark. Tony was currently wrestling with Steve, and trying to entice Natasha as well. Will was pacing in the kitchen, a look of worry clear across his face. Ethan was near by, his eyes glued to Will. At the kitchen table, Bruce and Benji were discussing plans, while Jane and Natasha leant up against the island, eyes trained on the wrestling pair in the living room. 

“Wow, no kidding he’s your twin.” At Jordan’s voice, everyone looked up. 

“There room for one more?” Clint asked, at the raised eyebrows of his team mates. Bruce shrugged, and went back to his conversation with Benji. William stopped his pacing, and stared at his twin. 

“Well, that depends. Who is this plus one?” Tony chirped from the living room. Steve let go of Tony, and strode forward. Steve grabbed the bags from Clint; they all knew that regardless of who the boy was, Tony would let him stay. 

“Jordan Coulson.” Jordan shook a suddenly speechless Tony’s hand. Silence at Jordan’s statement permeated the apartment. 

“What, are you Phil’s brother? Cousin?” Tony asked, dumbstruck. 

“No, his son.” Jordan replied softly. Clint put his hand on Jordan’s shoulder, and glared at Tony. 

“Yes, Phil had sex. No, he didn’t let his fangirl tendencies for Captain America rule his personal life. Leave the kid alone, he has been through enough.” Clint steered Jordan forward, through his silent friends. He knew deserved an explanation of sorts, Will in particular, but at this point, Clint did not really care. He just wanted to get some sleep. And, having at least one Coulson near by and safe was almost as good as having one of his brother’s around. Because, if Clint kept this up, he knew that Will would get fed up and leave. Clint deposited the now silent boy in the only empty room, then returned to his. He crashed on the bed, and pretended to sleep when Will slipped into the room. Will sighed when Clint didn’t comment, and left soon after he entered the room. Clint snuggled into the one pillow that still smelled like Phil, and fell into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update! This chapter is a direct response to firewordsparkler's request! So, this chapter is un-beta'd, but I have now managed to get on of my awesome friend's to beta for me, so we will try and set up a schedule of some sort.
> 
> Oh, and Ethan and William are going to have a little, ahem, domestic next chapter. Lots of screaming, and all that good stuff


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan and William have a spat... And Natasha knows her Barton boys

Chapter 4 

William tried Clint’s door, and huffed a sigh when it remained locked. It had been an entire week since Clint had brought Jordan home, and he was holing himself up in his room. William rolled his shoulders, then went back to the previously empty kitchen. It was midnight, and Benji was probably playing in the workshop at Stark Tower with Tony and Bruce. If William had to hazard a guess, Natasha and Steve, and Jane were sparring in the gym. The only person he wasn’t entirely sure of their whereabouts as Ethan. 

“Will? Is Clint okay?” Ethan’s voice rang out softly from the kitchen. Will jumped softly, and spun around. Ethan was leaning against the counter, and cup of coffee cradled against his chest. 

“Yeah, he’s fine.” Will flashed Ethan a quick, almost nervous, smile and kept walking. He barely looked at Ethan, and moved into the living room. He sat down on the couch, and tried not to flinch, when he heard Ethan put his mug down, and join William. 

“Will? We need to talk.” Ethan sat down on the coffee table, in front of William. 

“Talk? Why would we need to talk?” William stood, and made to move away. Ethan rocketed up, and grabbed William’s wrist. 

“We need to talk about your brother. James. He pointed a gun at me, Will.” Ethan hissed at William. “And, apparently, he picked you up after Croatia. Why didn’t you tell me about that, Will? Didn’t you think it was important for me to know?” 

“Ethan, I don’t want to talk about it.” William tried to pull his arm away form Ethan. Ethan’s grip automatically tightened. 

“But I do. William, I am not asking you. We need to talk.” Ethan remained calm, despite his vice like grip on William’s arm. 

“What is there to talk about?” William grumbled. He knew Ethan wasn’t going to let go, so he fell back onto the couch. 

“He pointed his gun at me! What did you tell him?” Ethan sat down on the edge of the coffee table, and released William’s arm. 

“Of course he did! What did you expect? He took care of me. Croatia almost destroyed me. Do you know not understand what our family went through? James was 6 when our mother killed herself. He was a child who had to grow up, to take care of his brother. We were separated- he and John went to London. We didn’t get to see each other on a regular basis until he turned 18.” William seethed. He sprang up from the couch, and started to pace. “What did I tell him? Almost nothing, he figured it all out himself. There’s not much that needs to be said, when your baby brother doubts himself so much, he wants to kill himself.” 

“Will? You were suicidal? Why didn’t you tell me.” Ethan stormed towards William, and grabbed the other man by the shoulders. 

“What was I supposed to say? Because of who we are, what we do, I can’t have it on file that I have brothers, Ethan. We discussed it, and you made it seem like everything was fine, so lets move on. Regardless of whether I was okay with that, or not. I couldn’t just tell you, whether I wanted to or not!” William hissed, his eyes flashing. 

“So, what, you can’t trust me with your family?” Ethan snapped back, his face bright red with anger. 

“Don’t put words in my mouth! James is a spy, you know how important it is to keep your private life private! Us having different last names keeps us safe, us not recognizing each other at work protects us. Everything James has done, he did to keep us safe. That means that, when he tells us not to say anything about our family, we listen. We obey. He is the closest thing any of us have to a father, Clint especially.” William pushed Ethan away, and went back to his pacing. 

“That doesn’t change that you don’t trust me!” Ethan almost howled back. He spun around, his eyes focused on William. 

“I trust you! Of course I do, I brought you here. How can you not see that?” William sped away and into Ethan’s room, before Ethan could move. The slamming of his door masked the sound of Clint leaving his room. 

“For an IMF agent, you are very dense.” Clint remarked. Ethan spun around, to see Clint leaning against a door jam. 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ethan snarled, his eyes flashing. 

“William bringing you to see me, in my time of need, is the highest display of trust, of love, for him.” Clint replied smoothly. Internally, he savored the look of shock on Ethan’s face. “The first time I brought Phil home, well, all hell broke lose. It was only a couple of months after Croatia, and Will had just accepted a position as analyst. It was a, well, interesting Christmas to say the least. Trust me, William trusts you, as much as he trusts any of his brothers.” 

“He still should have told me.” Ethan was, if nothing else, stubborn. 

“And, trust me, when you meet John, he is going to kick your ass. He may look small, and stubborn, but he is so close to the edge right now, that anything will set him off. Especially his baby brother’s boyfriend acting like an ass. William is probably the best thing that ever happened to you, Ethan. Don’t throw that away over something as petty as perceived mistrust.” Clint replied. His voice was steady, and level, but his eyes held a tinge of anger. 

“If you say so.” Ethan turned and left the room. He sped to the elevator, and rode it down to the gym level. Once there, he moved over to a punching bag, and began to let his frustration out on it. Natasha and Steve, who were sparring near by, left the other man be. Fifteen minutes into Ethan’s onslaught, Steve grabbed the bag, and Natasha laid a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. 

“Punching bags can only do so much.” Natasha replied to the unspoken question in Ethan’s eyes. 

“C’mon. Stark has some vodka hidden in one of the lockers.” Steve led the way to the lockers, with a slightly dejected Ethan following. Natasha grabbed a bench, and pulled it forward, then settled onto it. Steve pulled out a bottle of vodka, and three glasses. He waited until Ethan was settled on the bench, then passed them around. 

“You don’t have to talk, but I get it. The trust thing.” Natasha broke the silent, once the first glass of alcohol had been consumed. 

“Really?” Ethan responded softly. 

“Mhmm. I wanted to kill Clint, for not telling me about his family. I felt, at the time, like it was the biggest breach of trust. Well, it took several missions, and some intervention from Phil, before I was able to work with him again. But you know what really brought the trust back? Spending a Christmas with the Bartons. Trust me, they are crazy. Phil tried to warn me, his first Christmas with them was a gong show. James and I nearly killed each other, that first year. But, well, it gave me some perspective. Like, how John seems gentle and safe. Until you threaten one of his brothers. Out of nowhere, a gun will be in your face, and you will be on the ground. James is much more subtle. They didn’t realize, that first year, how Clint and I work together. If Clint hadn’t warned me, James would have poisoned me. That is how they work. As children. These men, Ethan, have been separated for a long time, and their first instinct is to protect each other. That means lying to those who mean the most to them, but have not been brought into the circle just yet. Yes, Ethan, you. And, before you, me. Before that, Phil. Yet, we both overcame that sense of betrayal, because we love Clint. I guess the real question is, do you love William enough to look past this.” Natasha paused, and swallowed her second glass of vodka. “Don’t answer that now. Give William a chance, Ethan. Trust me, he is worth it. At least, wait until your first Barton Christmas, before you make up your mind.” Natasha put down her glass, and promptly left Ethan with her words. 

“Forgiveness isn’t easy. But, I think Natasha is right about this one. Just, think about it.” Steve murmured to Ethan. 

“Time. Just, give me time.” Ethan sighed, and gulped down more vodka. 

“For once, I think that’s something we can actually give you.” Steve replied with a slight smile. 

“Amazing. You mean, I might actually get something that I have asked for?” Ethan’s voice was slightly slurred with alcohol and snark. Steve grinned back. 

“Well, if it’s time you want, you can help Tony with the rebuilding of the tower. He thinks it will take about a month, give or take. And, if you can believe him, I think he is going to add apartments for the rest of us to live there, full time.” Steve suggested. 

“Thank god I am IMF, then. I honestly cannot imagine living with those men full time.” Ethan almost face palmed. 

“And Natasha. Never forget Natasha.” Steve’s eyes flashed slightly. 

“Or Pepper, if thats to be believed.” Ethan replied easily. 

“Hmm, I guess.” Steve looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of Tony’s ex girlfriend. Ethan, four vodkas in, didn’t notice the other man’s reaction. 

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to help. It’s not as if I will be living there anyways. I don’t envy you that.” Ethan clapped Steve on the shoulder, then stumbled slightly when he strode towards the elevator. He barely payed any attention to his surroundings, as he stumbled to his rooms. He crashed onto his bed, and turned his face to wear William was curled up. William’s breathing was slow, and even. Ethan didn’t have the heart to wake the other man up, so he gently wrapped his hand around William’s, and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kind of hate myself for how long this took! Anyways, I have an idea of how the next chapters will look, so they should be up soon. Also, I am going to be writing a side story that will be about whats happening with John. You know, explain why, if the Barton boys want to see him, they have to go to him. 
> 
> Again, sorry for how long it took me!
> 
> Also, I know a month isn't a long time for rebuilding something, but, well, they have Iron Man and the Hulk. I think they can get things done pretty quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce, just let Tony do his thing! And, well, Ethan buck up and make things better!

Chapter 5 

A month, almost to the day of their fight. That’s how long it took, for Stark to finish his tower. Well, mostly. A few of the rooms weren’t quite right. William and Ethan had each fielded phone calls from IMF, trying to explain why they couldn’t return. Two days after their big fight, Ethan had sent Benji and Jane home. The pair had left uneasy; the tension between WIlliam and Ethan was easy to see. 

A week into the reconstruction, Clint had taken Jordan back to his mother. He knew that Jordan was allowed to stay longer, but he didn’t want the police to turn up saying that he had kidnapped Jordan. The Avengers’ area in S.H.I.E.L.D. had been not calm, but quiet. Whenever Clint was in the room, they had gone silent. 

Now, Clint was hiding in his new apartment, in Stark tower. Maybe, when he finished moving in, William and Ethan would go back to running missions for IMF. Maybe Tony would stop looking at him like he was broken. Maybe Thor would stop skirting around him. Maybe Bruce would stop treating him like he was made from glass. Yeah, right. William would stick around until he was damn well ready to leave. Ethan, well, Clint knew that the other man was trying to figure out William’s family. Clint ran a hand over his face, and huffed into his palm. 

Tony, on the other hand, was over the moon. He had everyone under one roof, and, well, they could be his guinea pigs. Not that he was going to tell them that. Except Bruce. Tony was actually expected to run experiments on Bruce. Currently, however, Bruce’s main concern was keeping Tony from hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D. database, to try and find out what really happened to Phil Coulson. 

“Look, I am trying to help Clint. He is broken, and finding out what happened to Coulson is the only way to fix him.” Tony finally snapped at Bruce. The pair had been dancing around each for three hours, and Tony was fed up. 

“And how is confirming that Phil is dead going to help?” Bruce snapped right back. 

“Have you not been listening? His little mantra ‘no body, not dead’? All of Clint’s brothers are agents in government agencies, you think they don’t talk? Obviously they do, or why else would Clint think that? Fury probably has Coulson locked up somewhere. It is my job to find him.” Tony explained, his voice almost feverish. 

“Fury wouldn’t do that.” Bruce replied, his voice full of uncertainty. He crossed his arms across his chest, and leaned against the desk behind me. 

“Of course he will! Fury is the ultimate spy. Just, let me look. I can find him.” If it had been anyone other than Tony, Bruce could have sworn that Tony was pleading. 

“Fine. Just, lets not tell Clint until we know one way or the other.” Bruce conceded, and Tony let out a whoop of victory. 

“What are you two up to now?” Steve called out, as his boots stomping on the stair announced his arrival. Tony, already lost in his hacking, didn’t even look up. Steve stopped in the lab, a few feet from Tony, and nervously adjusted his shirt sleeves. He wasn’t sure what it was about Tony, but merely being around the man made him, well, nervous. Which made no sense to Steve at all. 

“Tony is hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.. _Again._ ” Bruce supplied, when it became clear that Tony wasn’t going to speak. 

“Why on earth would he do that?” Steve asked, somewhat shocked. What had Fury done now, for Tony to try and break in. 

“Tony doesn’t believe that Phil is actually dead. So, he is hacking in, to try and figure it out.” Bruce replied with a sigh of annoyance. 

“Does he honestly think that Fury lied to us?” Steve quirked an eyebrow. 

“He’s done it before, and he did it again. Get Clint, Fury has some explaining to do, and bruises to gain.” Tony snatched a freshly printed piece of paper, and rushed from the room, Steve and Bruce fast on his heels. 

“Avengers, Ethan and William, please assemble in the lobby. Immediately.” JARVIS’ voice rang out through the tower. 

“Whats happening?” William called, when he and Ethan, the last to show up, ran into the lobby. 

“Fury has some explaining to do.” Tony motioned for all of them to to enter one of the two cars. 

“Tony, what is going on?” Clint asked, his forehead furrowed in confusion. 

“When we get there.” Tony replied simply, and the finality in his tone shut everyone up. Five minutes later, the Avengers plus William and Ethan charged into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters. Director Fury was waiting for them in the lobby. 

“I am surprised, Mr. Stark. That took longer-” Fury was cut off by Tony’s fist connecting with Fury’s mouth. Then, Tony handed Clint a piece of paper, with directions. 

“What is this?” Clint asked, his voice suddenly hoarse. There were all directions, nothing but a door number to state the end direction. 

“Follow it and find out.” Tony replied calmly. Clint met his eyes, then glanced down at the paper again, and set off at a dead sprint. William burst after his twin, and kept pace with the other man. The rest of the group followed at a more leisurely pace. 

“Tony, what was that?” Ethan asked calmly. 

“The hospital room were Phil Coulson is recovering.” Tony’s voice was calm, and level. Natasha’s hand flashed out, and briefly connected with Tony’s head; then, she was sprinting down the hallway after the Barton brothers. 

“Why is she mad at me? Thor helped heal him.” Tony grumbled, his hand scratching the back of his head. 

“Well, Thor isn’t on Earth right now, so I guess you are the next best thing.” Bruce remarked dryly. 

“Pft, details.” Tony’s lip popped out in a slight pout, electing laughter form the rest. 

\--- 

“Clint! Wait!” William raced down the hall, trying to keep up with his twin. 

“Phil?” Clint stopped before the door, the last thing on the piece of paper Tony had given him. “Phil?” Clint pushed the door open, and almost collapsed. He crossed the room in three long steps, and heavily sat on the hospital bed. 

“Hey, Clint.” Phil pulled Clint into his chest, and the two men clung to each other as they started to cry. William came to a stop in the doorway, and stared at the pair. Moments later, Natasha came to a halt at William’s side. William shifted so he was leaning against the door. Her only show of relief, the only sign of emotion, was the slight tremor of her hands. 

“I am so sorry, Clint. I never agreed with Fury to not tell you, but there was no way for me to get out. By the time I was well enough to try and do anything, Fury had already told you I was... gone. I am so sorry.” Phil gasped into Clint’s hair, his grip around the other man as tight as it could be without hurting himself. 

“Am I allowed to wrap you up in bubble wrap, and lock you in a house for a few months?” Clint’s voice was muffled by Phil’s shoulder. 

“Only if you are there too, and no one else. And, honestly, I think you should be the one we wrap in bubble wrap.” Phil groused, a good natured grin on his face. 

“Not fair. I haven’t gotten into any trouble at all since, well, since the war.” Clint shot back. He pulled back from Phil, and prodded the other man’s shoulder. Then, because even that distance was too much, Clint fell forward, and back into Clint’s arms. 

“I feel like that has more to do with William being here, than with you behaving yourself.” Phil then kissed Clint, partly to stop the other man from replying, and partly to, well, kiss the man he loves. 

“We should give them space.” William commented, just as Tony, Steve, Bruce and Ethan joined them. 

“But we just got here!” Tony whined, a grin on his face. 

“If you want to watch my brother make out with his boyfriend, go ahead. I, on the other hand, have seen enough of my brothers’ exploits to last three lifetimes.” William responded swiftly. He launched himself off of his heels, caught Ethan’s and led the other man away. 

“You can bother Phil later, Tony. Phil will most likely move into the tower with Clint.” Steve placed a firm hand on Tony’s shoulder, and steered the other man away from the door, Natasha and Bruce falling into step behind them, 

“How long until those two jump into bed together?” Ethan’s voice was low, and rough, and right in William’s ear. The other man was so close to William, that he could feel his breath, his _nose_ brushing against his ear. 

“Are you proposing a bet? Because if Clint finds out that we didn’t include him, he will pout until John tells him to grow up.” William turned his head, so their noses’ brushed. Which was an impressive feat, since the two men were still walking. “But I give them a month.” 

“Oi! You never mentioned that we would have to pick between sappy Bartons!” Tony jeers from behind them. William rolls his eyes, then presses his mouth quick and hard against Ethan’s. The kiss is hard, fast, and short. Behind them, Natasha lets out a catcall, Bruce wolf whistles, and Tony sighs in mock irritation. 

“Come on, let’s go back. I think we have a few hours before supper.” Ethan’s voice is suddenly husky, and still mingles with William’s. 

“Hmm. Yes, I like the sound of that.” William ignores those behind him, and pulls Ethan towards the elevator, and their guest room in S.H.I.E.L.D. 

\--- 

Ethan feels his irritation with William’s lies, with James’ hostility towards him wash away. He has never seen William this happy, this carefree. He knows that Clint and Phil happy together is part of it, the same that he knows, deep inside, that William was right to not tell Ethan about his family right away. If Ethan was a coward, he would let the situation between them fester; sex is good, but it doesn’t fix anything. But, Ethan is not a coward, and he knows that if he wants William in his life, and he does, then he needs to man up, and tell him. Say that he is sorry. So, when William passes Ethan, probably to get plates to set the table, Ethan snags the man, and pulls him close. 

“Ethan! I have to set the table.” William grumbles, though he pushes more into Ethan, than away. This, more than anything else, gives Ethan courage. 

“I want to say I am sorry. For, well, yelling at you about your brothers. I know why, I think, you kept silent. I care about you... I need you. And, well, you are obviously happy with your brothers.” Ethan whispers into William’s ear. The more he speaks, the stiller William becomes. 

“Ethan... I... Thank you.” William’s voice is soft, and breathless, not something Ethan has heard outside of their rooms. 

“For you-” Ethan is cut off by the now familiar sound of William’s cell phone. Suddenly, Clint is close by, his arms wrapped around Phil. 

“Hello?” William whispers softly into the phone. The conversation isn’t very long, but to Ethan it feels like an eternity. As it progresses, William shifts all of his weight against Ethan. “You are sure? Positive? Sorry, of course you would be. I- we will come to you, no, don’t worry. We will come.” With that William ends the call with a click. Ethan is about to ask what is wrong, but then they are falling, and William is shaking and sobbing violently. 

“William! William whats wrong?” Clint lets go of Phil, and crouches beside his brother and Ethan. The others swarm to the trio, worry clear across their faces. They don’t know William as well as Clint, but they know he is a good man, a man they can trust. 

“Iiit’s nooot fair.” William’s voice is incredibly shaky and muffled by Ethan’s shirt. 

“Will? What happened? Love, tell me whats wrong?” Ethan whispers into William’s hair. He shifts so he is back is pressed more comfortably against the wall, and tightens his grip on the sobbing man in his arms. He rubs a hand soothingly across William’s back, and shares a worried look with Clint. 

“John... He just... James is dead.” William finally manages to choke out. Clint’s eyes glazes over, then he lets out a howl of grief, and latches himself onto William. Phil sighs, his brow wrinkled in pain over the loss, and he leans agains Clint. Ethan and Phil gently rock the two sobbing Barton boys between them, both keeping their own tears in check. They can fall apart later, when neither Barton is relying on them. 

“Its going to be alright, William, its going to be alright. Maybe not right now, but it will be.” Ethan whispers into his lovers hair, and holds the other man tighter. William’s sobs continue to wrack his body, so Ethan murmurs nothing important into the other man’s ear, and holds him closer, tighter. Because, his only reassurance for William is his presence, his support is what William needs now. If nothing else, for all Ethan has put him through, he can give him this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp! A cliffy? And I feel mean. Phil's back, but James is gone. (So, timeline wise, this puts us at the beginning ish of Skyfall)  
> So, this didn't take very long, because the next chapter will take a long time, probably. I want to post a short multi-story centred around John (I don't think it will take very long). The next chapter will make a ton more sense, if this story is posted first.
> 
> Also, midterms... They suck, and apparently you need to study for them if you want to do well in school. Shocking, really.
> 
> Oh, and if there are any issues, with grammar and what not, sorry. I wrote this while in class. Whoops. :P


	6. Amelia isa spy in training

Chapter 6 

William, Clint, Ethan and Phil walked through the airport. Clint had his arm tangled through Phil’s, while Ethan and William’s only contact was their fingers tangled together. 

“Boys. Over here.” John’s voice was harsh, and low. The twins and their lovers turned to see John. He had an arm loosely wrapped around Amelia. Just behind the pair, was Sherlock The other man looked somewhat miffed to be in the airport, but John’s eyes were red, and he hadn’t shaved in days. 

“John.” William dropped Ethan’s hand, and pulled his brother into a quick hug. Then, he scooped Amelia up into his arms, and cuddled his niece close to his chest. “Amelia, this is Ethan. Ethan, this is my niece.” 

“Hello, Amelia. Nice to meet you.” Ethan smiled softly at the girl. He had heard a little bit about her, thanks to his time in the tower. She was, however, the first child he had ever been around for any length of time. Which was mildly shocking, since he had just met her. She peered at him then tucked her nose into William’s neck. 

“Can we go home now.” Amelia whispered softly. John sighed softly, and shook his head apologetically at Ethan. 

“Of course, Princess. Lets take you home, darling.” William whispered into her ear. Amelia nodded her head against his neck, then cuddled in closer. 

“Mycroft has a car waiting for us outside. Come on.” John grabbed William’s suitcase, and led them out of the airport. The others trailed behind him, a somber parade. The car was large, almost a limousine. The men quickly packed their suitcases into the trunk, then they filed into the car. William and Clint jockeyed everyone, so that their little niece was between them. 

"Daddy, when is Uncle James going to get here?" Amelia asked, as soon the car was in motion, and away from the airport. William and Clint both stared at John, hurt and confusion clear on their faces. 

"He isn't sweetheart. Remember, we talked about this." John replied quickly. "He can't come back, just like your mom can't come back." 

"But I miss him. He has to come back." Amelia's lip stuck out in a pout. Normally, this look would have William and Clint running to do whatever she wanted. For some reason, they were just staring at her. William’s arm snaked around her shoulders, and gave her a quick squeeze. 

"Love, its just not possible. Please, we talked about this." John's voice was strained. Ethan would have felt bad for the other man, if William wasn't incredibly tense and trembling beside him. He placed a hand on the other man’s knee, and traced gently, calming circles with his thumb. 

"But he promised that when he got back from Turkey, we were going to play dress up together." Amelia's lip stuck out, and trembled. She just didn't understand why her dad was saying all this. 

"Amelia, your Uncle James isn't coming back. I am sorry, but he is never going to be able to play dress up with you." Sherlock's voice cut through, gentle. It still amazed John, how gentle he could be around the little girl. She was the only person that Sherlock didn’t belittle for not knowing something. Before Amelia could reply, the car stopped, and they all piled out, and into 221B Baker street. Amelia was quickly picked up, and cuddled against William's chest, while John puttered around the kitchen and made tea. 

"I don't understand. He called me this morning, and said he would try and come home soon." Amelia's voice was quiet. A mug fell in the kitchen, but John didn't pay it any attenton. Instead, everyone focused on the little girl in William's arms. 

"That is impossible. James died a month ago, Amelia." Clint's voice was low and harsh, not at al what Amelia was used to. 

"Well, it was definitely Uncle James who called. He told me that you wouldn't believe me. He also said that you were all twits, and should learn to listen better." Amelia huffed. When the men continued to stare at her, she squirmed in William's arms, so she could bury her face in the crook of his neck. 

"Amelia, love. What exactly did he tell you to tell us?" William's voice was calm, and encouraging. His words were soft, and while he wanted- _no needed_ an answer, he didn't demand it of Amelia. She snuffled a little, and tightened her arms around his neck somewhat. The silence in the apartment was tense, as all the men waited for Amelia to speak. 

"He said that everything was going to be alright. That it was just like Cleaton’s, except he would get to come back without anyone breathing down his neck. He promised, but he said it migh t-take awhile, that he wasn't ready to face anyone yet. And, he said he loves us, all of us." Amelia's voice was muffled by WIlliam's neck. William clutched her closer, and he started sobbing into her hair. 

"Oh, Amelia. Thank you, love. Thank you so much." He whispered, and kissed the top of her head. 

"Why are you crying, Uncle William? Did I say soemthing wrong?" The fear in Amelia's voice reminded him that, no matter how much time she spent in John's care, she had still been abused, and did not always respond well to reactions such as his currently was. 

"No, you didn't do anything wrong Amelia. You just gave us our hope back." Clint was suddenly there, and his arms wrapped around his twin, so that their darling niece was squished in between them. 

"Uncle Clint, stop it! You are squishing me!" Amelia laughed. Despite the somber mood of the men, she was still delighted that her uncles were around. Though, it would have been much better if uncle James was there as well. 

"Thats absolutely brillaint." Sherlock breather. John's eyes snapped to his flatmate, and lover. 

"Have you figured it out? But MI-6 was positive that he was gone! It's been almost a month!" John snapped, hurt and anger clear in his voice. Sherlock rolled his eyes at John, then left the room without anyone noticing. 

"Yeah. He only calls when you aren't home. You know, he just wanted to make sure that were still okay." Amelia replied unhelpfully from William's arms. 

"You knew? And you didn't tell me! Amelia." John's voice was almost mournful. If nothing else, he felt incredibly hurt. His older brother and darling daughter had kept a secret from him. 

"He told me not to! I am sorry, Daddy. Please, don't me mad. Uncle James told me that he couldn't come and see us, so it was better for you to think him gone. He said that you would want to check up on him right away, and that you couldn't, because he wasn't ready to come back. And, if he did come back, then we would be in trouble." Amelia looked very sad. She wriggled in William's arms, until he put her down. She didn't hesitate, but she ran forward, and slammed into John. She snuggled into him, willing him to give her assurances that he was not angry with her. 

"Oh, love. I am sorry for being cross. I am not angry with you, but my brother. Your Uncle James always seems to forget that I am not a child, that I do not need protecting. Thank you, my sweetling." John craddled her close, and kissed her forehead. 

"I didn't want to keep it a secret, really. Sorry, Daddy. I don't understand. Uncle James said that he would see me soon, when we were all together." Amelia whimpered softly against her dad's chest. 

"And, I guess you shall. On James' time, when he is good and ready." John huffed, suddenly very annoyed with his family. 

"Well, I guess this means that you can show us around London, give us a tour." Clint's voice was loud, and forecably cheerful. John and Phil shared a look, then the two men groaned. 

"No, I don't think that will be a good idea." John snapped at his brother. Clint gave him a puppy dog look, and trailed after him into the kitchen. Ethan and Phil rolled their eyes, then settled themselves onto the couch. Amelia tucked herself in between them a few minutes later, and book clutched in her hand. Once she was settled, she presented it to Phil, and waited patiently for him to read it to her. 

"Because that is a bad idea. I am not showing you around London." John's voice was firm. He pushed Clint back a bit, and began to pull pots and pans out of the cuboards, and banged them onto the stove. 

"Well, we could always go by ourselves. I think that, between the two of us, we could see all that there is to see." William suggested calmly. John snorted, and turned to glare at them. 

"I think not. Chasing Sherlock around is bad enough, I don't need to look after you lot as well." John growled at them. 

"Come on, John. How much trouble can we get in?" Clint complained. 

"Do I really need to answer that question? You are a living trouble magnet." John admonished the pair. 

"I resent that." Clint crossed his arms, and pouted. 

"You know, Amelia behaves better on her worst day, than you two do together on your best. No, I think it will be safest for you lot to stay here." John commanded his brothers. 

"Besides, aren't you supposed to be in grieiving? I think the government might have a hard time believing that you are, if you are running around town, having a good time." Ethan's voice carried over Phil's quiet retelling of _The Hobbit_. 

"You obviously haven't been around the family for very long, Ethan. We don't exactly do things the normal way." William's voice was dry with amusment, and despite himself, John chuckled. 

"That's not completely my fault." Ethan grumbled, and this time William did laugh. 

"I beg to differ." William poked his brother, and the two chuckled at Ethan's face. 

"Though, I feel like he will fit right in." Clint claimed. 

"Ah, yes. The approval of Clint, something everyone needs." John snorted, and got back to moving aorund his kitchen. 

"I don't believe that I have it." Sherlock's voice rang out, startling the others. 

"Figured it out already, have you? No, I don't want to know." John waved a hand at Sherlock, and continued to move around his kitchen. He had a meal for eight people to make. 

"John? How is supper going." Greg let himself into the flat, a container of food in his hands. 

"Alright. Though, your help is most welcome." John smiled at Greg, and took the dish. The four visitors stopped what they were doing, and stared at him. 

"Wow, you weren't joking when you said identical. I am Gregory Lestrade." Greg stuck a hand out to the twins. "You must be William and Clint." 

"Nice to meet you." William smiled, and shook the proffered hand. Clint raised an eyebrow, but kept his arms frimly crossed in fornt of his chest. 

"And who, exactly, are you to my brother?" He kept his voice polite, but his stare was hard. In the living room, Phil sighed ad set the book down. 

"I take it you are Clint. I am a good friend of your brother's, and Sherlock sometimes helps me with cases." Greg explained calmly. 

"You forgot the part where you are shagging my older brother." Sherlock groused. 

"Sherlock! Behave." John snapped, and tossed a piece of carrot at the other man. Sherlock caught it without looking, and popped it into his mouth. He settled himself at the desk, and began clicking away on John's laptop. John glared at his back, but didn’t raise a fuss. 

"Well I wasn't going to brag, but, yes. I am dating his older brother. The better catch, if you ask me." Greg's eyes were dancing, and he grinned at John. 

"Funny, I don't remember asking you." John replied back, just as good naturedly. Greg chuckled, and went and joined his friend in the kitchen. Storm over, Phil continued readng to Amelia. Pleased to have Phil's attention again, Amelia snuggled closer to the other man. Clint watched, a smile on his face, at the fond look on Phil's face, when he pulled her just the tiniest bit closer. He rolled his eyes, then quietly moved forward, and sat at Phil's feet. He leaned backwards, pressing against Phil's legs. Phil's hand momentarily brushed his hair, then Amelia's feet were tucked against his shoulder. 

"How is everything, anyways?" Greg asked cautiously. 

"Good. Apparently, James pulled a Sherlock, and is off living somewhere. He's kept in touch with Amelia, but will come back when he's good and ready. Typical James." John groused. William rolled his eyes, but watched with interest how Greg and John worked together in the kitchen. From the looks of it, the pair had done this many times before. Which was fine with William, because while John was a decent cook, some help would mean that the meal would happen sooner. 

"I see, So, is James going to get yelled at too about this, or is that just me?" Sherlock interjected, fond annoyance in his voice. 

"James is going to get a group hug, then a thrashing. If we can surprise him, that is." John groused good naturedly. 

“What did you do to Sherlock anyways?" William questioned innocently. 

"None of your business." John replied testily. Clint looked up, a playful look on his face. Ethan, sensing a fight about to happen, stood and joined the others in the kitchen. 

"So, where are we sleeping anyways?" He asked. He moved over to the sink and began to wash the dishes. 

"You and William can have Amelia's room upstairs. Clint and Phil can have Sherlock and my bedroom. Mrs. Hudson is lending us a cot for Amelia, and I will sleep on the couch." John explained. Statisfied with his preperations, started sautying some ground beef. Behind him, Greg chopped up vegetables for the sauce. 

"What about Sherlock?" William asked, instantly amused. 

"I have been quaranteened to Lestrade's apartment." Sherlock groused. 

"And where, exactly, is that?" Ethan didn't particularily care, he was just highly amused at Sherlock's expression. 

"In the basement." Greg replied cheerfully. Sherlock huffed in annoyance in the living room, and John chuckled. 

“Its a shame, though. Greg will probably stay with Mycroft, so they won’t burn the house down.” John drawled, and Greg chuckled. 

“Mrs. Hudson was overjoyed when she found out.” He and John shared a grin. In the living room, Sherlock huffed again. 

“Why?” William quirked an eyebrow. 

“Sherlock has... interesting ways of dealing with his boredom. Plus, him and Lestrade in the same room for any extended length of time is not exactly good news.” John explained. 

“That is only because Greg refuses to admit that he is ordinary.” Sherlock snapped from the living room. Amelia giggled, and John rolled his eyes. 

“And you refuse to admit that you are a prick!” Greg shot back. 

“Boys, that enough now. Please. If you don’t behave, neither of you get to have dinner here tonight.” John cut in, and put a bit of steel into his voice. Greg and Sherlock glared at John, then huffed and went back to their own tasks. 

“Is it always like this?” Ethan whispered into William’s ear, once he had caught the other man and pulled him close. 

“Take out Sherlock and Greg, and replace them with James and Clint. Yes, it is always like this. Don’t worry. Give it time, and you will grow to love it.” William pressed back into Ethan, and chuckled when he felt him groan. 

“What it I don’t want to get used to it?” Ethan’s breath was hot on William’s ear, and sent shivers down his spine. 

“Tough cookies. Amelia is the only Barton baby, so naturally we all flock here. Its that, or you go.” William’s voice was warm with humor, but Ethan could hear the steel behind it. 

“So, what you are saying is that, in the grand scheme of things, you will always pick your family first.” Ethan felt a tightness in his chest. William sighed, and shifted somewhat. 

“What do you want me to say, Ethan? Next to my family, you are the most important thing in my life. I am sorry, but we have been through a lot, with only each other to lean on. So, forgive me for not leaping for joy at you grumbling about how they act.” William kept his voice down, so that neither John nor Clint would catch on to the quiet argument. 

“I was joking. I am sorry, I forgot how high emotions were running. William, your family is wonderful.” Ethan whispered into William’s ear. The other man shivered, and pressed even closer to Ethan. 

“Oi! No cuddling in the kitchen!” John called, and he threw another piece of carrot at his brother. The two men laughed, and William spun them around, so Ethan was his shield from the carrots. 

“Ah, yes. Use your boyfriend as a shield. I can see exactly why you wanted to be an analyst.” Clint chuckled from the living room. William stuck his tongue out, let Ethan go, and tackled his twin. The two scuffled in the living room, Amelia laughing and egging her uncles on. 

“Boys, please. Behave! Supper will be in ten minutes.” John groused, and shook his head at his brothers. Greg joined him at the entrance of the kitchen, and chuckled. 

“I feel like you won’t be able to stop them. I wonder, where Mycroft and Sherlock ever like that as boys?” Greg mused. 

”Mycroft and I would never engage in such mundane behaviour!” Sherlock protested. 

“Definitely. They definitely did.” John and Greg laughed, and only laughed harder when Sherlock glared at them. 

It wasn’t until later that night, when John was tucking Amelia in, that he got to ask his question. “Why, darling, did you keep his secret?” 

“Uncle James asked me to. He told me that I could be a spy, if I did.” Amelia’s enthusiasm cut through her sleepiness. 

“Ah. Well, that remains to be seen, love.” John shook his head, then kissed her forehead. Amelia smiled up at him, and snuggled into her blankets more. John smiled fondly at her, then retired to the couch. He sighed, and fell into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides behind a tree* I am so sorry that it took me so long! I am going to try and update a couple more times, before I go to Mexico in May. However, I am doing Camp Nanowrimo, and trying to write, minimum, of a 2000 word chapter a day. So far, I have kept my word count up, but am about 3 chapters behind where I want to be... So, I am sorry this is taking so long, but it is coming, I promise! (Also, for those who like The Hobbit, my camp nano is an AU Hobbit fic, and will be posted as soon as I can get the first chapter edited and formatted.)


	7. Drabbles in London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fun for the boys

Chapter 7

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Phil just looked at them, right down his nose. Clint grinned back, and slid his hand into Phil’s. Will rolled his eyes, his waist comfortably warm from where Ethan’s arm was resting. 

“Can’t say I know what you mean.” Will grinned, and leaned more into Ethan. Ethan quirked an eyebrow, amused. It wasn’t often that he saw Will like this, all smiles and jokes. 

“Right, because its not as if John won’t kick your guys’ asses for ignoring him.” Phil grumbled. He let Clint drag him along, out of the house. The twins had gotten their respective boyfriends up early, and snuck themselves out of the apartment before the others were up. 

“What? I want to see London! Its been awhile!” Clint whined, and Ethan scoffed. 

“Yeah, London is a neat place to see. Though, I really can’t see how a small guy like John can kick anybody’s ass. No offence, or anything.” Ethan commented. Clint chuckled, and Will just gave him a bland look. 

“Just you wait. You haven’t been to a Christmas function yet.” Will replied, a small smirk on his face. 

“Should I be worried?” Ethan can feel the blood trying to rush from his head. Phil glances over his shoulder, and gives him a shark like smile. 

“Very. The first Christmas I spent with these guys-” 

“Hey that’s cheating! You didn’t get any warning, so why should Ethan?” Clint complains, startling a laugh form his twin. 

“Thats your own fault! You had plenty of time to warn him. But, some of us are procrastinators.” Will rolled his eyes at Clint, who pouted. 

“What! He was the first one to be brought home, of course I was nervous! None of you guys had ever introduced anybody before, what was I supposed to feel?” Clint whined. 

“So what you are saying, is that Phil is special, and I am screwed.” Ethan injected. Phil snorted, then nodded. 

“Basically. Though, Natasha meeting them was far better than when I did. She almost killed James, it was pretty funny.” Phil replied. 

“Yeah, that was good. And, you’ve met these guys Ethan. That makes you special.” Clint nodded, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. Will rolled his eyes again, and leaned against Ethan. 

“Special is good. Us Barton boys only like special.” Will murmured, so only Ethan could hear. 

“I assume thats meant to be a compliment.” Ethan replied, his voice soft and warm. Will grinned, and shook his head in amusement. 

“Hey look, Big Ben!” Clint bounced excitedly, and pointed at the famous clock tower. Phil snorted, and bumped shoulders with Clint. 

“So, its safe to say that Clint is always like this, right?” Ethan whispered into Will’s ear. Will gave a somewhat breathy chuckle and nodded. 

“Yeah. When we were kids, thats how people told us apart. Didn’t matter that we look the same, if one of us was bouncing around, there was a 99% chance it was Clint.” Will grinned. 

“Oi, what are you two whispering about?” Clint looked back at them, suddenly suspicious. Will went wide eyed, and assumed an innocent expression 

“Nothing at all. Just our interesting childhood.” Will gave him a large, toothy grin. Clint peered at him through squinted eyes. 

“Really? Are you telling him about all of the things I have climbed?” Clint queried. 

“You climb too?” Ethan instantly perked up. Will and Phil groaned in unison. 

“Of course I climb! What kind of assassin would I be if I didn’t?” Clint grumbled. 

“A poor one. Have you climbed Big Ben?” Ethan inquired. 

“NO!” Phil and Will snapped in unison. Both men turned to look at their significant other, a hurt expression on their faces. 

“But-” Ethan pouted at Will, who glared in return. 

“We are not going through this again Ethan. No.” Will snapped. 

“Don’t even think about it, Clint. Nope, not going to happen.” Phil snarked back. Clint stuck his tongue out, folded his arms in front of himself and turned on his heel. 

“Stop being such a child, Clint. We care for you.” Will stepped forward, and gently pushed his twin’s shoulder. 

“But I want to climb.” Clint whined. 

“Hey! What are you guys doing? I thought I told you to stay home!” The group turned, to see John hop from a cab, a glare on his face. 

“Sorry, John. Clint made me.” Will spoke instantly, before anyone could recover. 

“Hey! You thought it was a good idea!” Clint complained, a scowl marring his features. 

“Only so you wouldn’t bitch at me.” Will retorted. Clint glared at his brother, and his lower lip quivered slightly. 

“Enough, boys. Honestly, so long as nobody climbed anything.” John rolled his eyes, anger gone. 

“Yes!” Clint and Will smirked at each other, and high-fived. Ever since they had been small, their greatest joy had been teasing their older brothers. This included using each other to get their brothers to deflate. 

“Twits.” John grumbled. 

“Anyways, can we keep waking? I am kind of cold.” Ethan complained. Will swiveled to look at his boyfriend. The other IMF agent had his hands shoved in his pockets, with his shoulders hunched forward. 

“Yeah, come on.” Will slipped his arm through Ethan’s and leaned against his boyfriend. Ethan hummed in approval, glad for the extra warmth. 

“Really? I would like to think that you have been in colder areas than this.” Clint quipped, a smirk on his face. Phil rolled his eyes, and caught Clint’s hand in his own as they started walking again. 

“Well, yes, but then I didn’t really have a choice if I was to be cold or not. Now I do, and I would really rather not.” Ethan shrugged, unconcerned about Clint’s attitude. 

“So what were you guys planning on doing in London?” John questioned, after a few minutes of silence. 

“Wreck havoc. Maybe break something. I don’t know.” Clint shrugged nonchalant. 

“Why do you have to break something here? You always break things.” Phil grumbled. 

“Because it is London, and I can. So, there.” Clint stuck his tongue out. 

“Please? We are in London. Can you try and be a grown up for once?” John complained. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Clint beamed, and chuckled. Phil and John both rolled their eyes, only mildly annoyed. 

“See? This is totally why I didn’t want to introduce you.” Will teased, startling a laugh. 

“Yeah, I can see why.” Ethan shifted, and wrapped an arm around Will’s shoulders. Being with the Bartons wasn’t easy, but it kept Ethan at peace. It was something new, for him to see Will so happy and carefree. To see his lover so at ease, well it definitely helped Ethan feel at ease. Though, he definitely did not want to think about what that said about him. 

“Stop thinking. Everything is fine.” Will murmured, startling Ethan from his thoughts. He brushed a kiss to the other man’s jaw. 

“Of course.” Ethan grinned at him, and squeezed Will gently. Today was not a day for worrying. No, it was a day for enjoying the fact that he was alive, and with Will. A day for laughing at the Bartons, and collective eye rolling with Phil. A day that was lovely, and good. Until it all went to shit. Of course, it had to be Will that was kidnapped. Anyone else would be, well, illogical. But, no. Ethan was not going to go down that path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... Hi there... Sorry for the shortness, but I am back. I think... Anyways, I hope you liked it, and I do plan on finishing this, I just don't know when...
> 
> Though, how I left it makes me want to write loads, so even though its a cliffy, it works in your guys' favour!


	8. Author's note

I am a terrible person, who does not deserve such amazing readers. I am so terribly sorry, but I can’t see myself updating in a long time. I meant to, but then I did camp nano again... And, well to be honest I am no longer entirely sure where this is going. I have every intention of finishing this. I think I will polish it up first, but I will let you know when I update again if I have. I am really very sorry, and I will try and update soon- just, no promises. I honestly don’t think I will write very much for this for awhile, so be warned.

Thank you so very much for reading this, and I will try and write more soon. I just can’t promise when it will be.


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